How to use 2 monitors on my Optiplex GX220

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Hi,

Been a wizillionair, I am gifted with knowledge except its not in computers. I need some help knowing if and how to use 2 monitors on my Optiplex GX620.
I have two graphics cards on the computer...

any help would be great.
The Wizillionair
 
I'll give this question a shot :). Honestly, I've never tried a dual monitor setup with 2 video cards but I don't see why it wouldn't work (that is unless one of your cards is the onboard video on the motherboard). Let me ask this... When you have both monitors hooked up and turned on, do they both display the desktop? If yes then (if no proceed to second paragraph) you can probably just right-click on your desktop > properties > settings tab. In the pull down menu select your primary monitor (usually listed as "1.default monitor on blah blah") and check the box that says "Use this device as my primary monitor" then select the second one ("2. Default monitor on blah blah") from the pull down menu and check the box that says "extend my Windows blah blah blah", and that should do it. I think there may be compatablity issues with adapters and windows XP when trying to do multiple monitors check out http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307397/EN-US/ for a list

There are dual display video cards available for really cheap. I've used a radeon 9250 in a dual monitor set up and it worked fine. The only thing you have to be aware of is that the second port is not always a standard vga port. As with the 9250, the second port is a DVI-I port and I had to get an adapter. Shop around, a lot of major stores carry this adapter for around $30-$40 however I found a generic at radio shack for $6 that worked just fine. This was over year ago and the card + the adapter ran me about $70.
 
cards is the onboard video on the motherboard

(that is unless one of your cards is the onboard video on the motherboard).
This is the case! I suspect it won't work.

Thanks,
Da Wizillionair
 
Ahh, but it is possible to run your integrated chip along with the second video card as well. Although, what I suggest is just getting a compatible video card with two video outputs (note that the Optiplex series has a very low power supply). I actually had an Optiplex GX110, and got rid of it for that reason.
 
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